A Shard of Hope
by Pandora of Ithilien
Summary: Angel Ravena is a fifteenyearold mutant with a tragic past. Can she find a home at Xavier's school? And what happens when a danger arrives that no one saw coming...except for the one person who doesn't know the whole story...
1. Angel

Disclaimer: The characters of X-Men are not mine. Angel and anyone you don't know are.

**_Chapter One – Angel: _**Angel Ravena rolled out of bed with a sigh. It was five in the morning, and she was the only one awake in the girls' dorm at Larkspur Children's Home in New York City. It was a familiar pattern; it was the same every day, after all. Just like everything else around here.

She supposed the patterns were good; they kept life simple. And she lost herself in them, and in schoolwork and the drawings she devoted all her spare time to, and in this way, she escaped. This way, she never needed to recall the past, or think about her secrets.

What Angel did not know was that something was about to break that pattern. For today, someone found her. His name was Professor Charles Xavier.

Professor Xavier was a mutant with the power of telepathy. He had a machine called Cerebro that extended his power. Using Cerebro, his mind could touch anyone in the world. And today, he had found a young mutant with a startling pair of powers. The girl called Angel Ravena was a telepath, but she could also harness a type of energy.

Angel did feel the brush of the Professor's mind, but she ignored it. It meant nothing to her, but then, little did anymore. Not since...but she didn't talk about that or even think about it. Ever. People called her the Ice Queen, and the title suited her. She made no friends and stayed distant from everyone. Life was easier that way.

Meanwhile, Professor Xavier was deciding what to do about Angel Ravena. The fact was, while he wanted the girl at his school, getting her there would be a bit difficult. He had discovered that Angel lived at a children's home, which meant she was a ward of the state. Most of the students were runaways, and the others' families were almost all under the impression that the school was a prep school. Finally, he just decided to work this like in the same way they would work it if Angel lived with her family.

He asked Storm to be the one that went to Larkspur. She was good at handling awkward questions, and she was also very good with the students. Storm didn't mind doing it; it would actually be a relief to get out of the mansion for a while. Since Alkali Lake, the atmosphere of the school had changed for the worse, becoming more subdued and sad, yet angrier at the same time. It got a bit stifling at times.

Angel had no idea that her life was about to get a lot more interesting, and if she had, she probably wouldn't have really cared. To her, life right now was a limbo. She was waiting to be 18, to be free and on her own. Still, she was surprised two days later when her housemother, Ms. Anderson, called her down to the office. What was going on?

A/N: Okay, this is my first X-Men fic. It will get better, but intros aren't my best skill. Review, please! Oh, and yes, I know about the other Angel (Warren Worthington, right?) but there's no connection. I just like the name.


	2. Prep School? Freak School?

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel and any other OCs are.

**_Chapter 2 – Prep School? Freak School:_** Angel was confused by the summons from her housemother, but the first rule around here was 'Don't ask questions.' So she went downstairs, all the while trying to figure things. At last, an obvious scenario came into her mind. The only explanation was that her caseworker, Ms. Simmons, had come to take her to a new foster home. Resigned to this fate, Angel walked into Ms. Anderson's office.

However, when Angel looked around for Ms. Simmons, she wasn't there. Instead, Angel saw a tall black woman with...white hair? _Okay,_ Angel thought. _Either this lady went white really early, or she's got some weird idea of a cool hair color._

Not surprisingly, it was Ms. Anderson who started talking, obviously trying to speed up...whatever was going on. "Angel, I'd like you to meet Ororo Munroe. She is a teacher at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, a prep school in Westchester, New York. She's here to tell you that you have been accepted there."

Angel's eyebrows rose at this. Why would any prep school want her? Sure, her grades were good, but she wasn't the prep school type. She was even more surprised when Ms. Munroe added, "Actually, I'm also supposed to take Angel to the school."

When she heard that, Angel was even more surprised. She was pretty sure that normally, teachers at prep schools didn't bring students to the school. Of course, she could be wrong. It wasn't like she was an expert on prep schools, after all.

Then Ms. Anderson said, "Take her? You mean now?" Ms. Munroe replied, "Well, as soon as Angel is ready to leave." Ms. Anderson appeared flustered for a moment, but soon recovered. "Well?" she snapped at Angel. "What are you waiting for? Go pack!" Angel nodded and left.

Back in the dormitory, Angel pulled her tote bag out from under the bed and began shoving her things inside. There were clothes and a brush, of course, some books, an old, beat up Walkman with a pair of headphones in equally bad condition, a few CDs, and four sketchbooks with pencils and a cheap paint kit. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she went back downstairs. No one asked where she was going; kids leaving and coming were a common sight at Larkspur.

Storm waited for the girl in the office, busily rethinking her strategy. She'd been prepared to deflect countless questions from the housemother about the school, but had not had to. On the contrary, Ms. Anderson had not seemed to care where she was sending Angel as long as she was left with one last charge to watch over. Storm had expected some curiosity from Angel as well, but all there had been was raised eyebrows and a cool stare. It was unsettling.

When Angel reached the office, she followed Ms. Munroe out to a dark blue car. She tossed her tote bag in the trunk and got in the front passenger seat. She waited until they were stuck in a traffic jam in Times Square before speaking. "This school, it's not a normal prep school, is it?" Ms. Munroe turned to look at her in surprise. "What makes you say that?"

Angel sighed. She didn't want to go into this. The fact was that she sensed it, the  
way she sometimes heard things...things people thought, but didn't say. But there was no way she was admitting that out loud. "Just a guess," she said vaguely.

Storm relaxed a bit. At last they were getting somewhere. She hadn't wanted to bring the subject up herself, and now Angel had done it for her. "You're right. Xavier's isn't a 'normal' school at all," Storm began. "It's a school for people who are...different."

_Different?_ Angel thought. _What the Hell is she on about?_ "Different how, exactly?" Ms. Munroe didn't answer right away, but then she said, "Different as in, well, it's a school for mutants."

Angel stared at her. She had known for years what she was, but had never imagined a mutant_ school_. "Oh," she said. "So it's not a prep school, it's a freak school. I should fit right in."

Storm frowned. "It is not a 'freak school', as you put it. It's a place where mutant teens learn to control their powers. Being genetically advanced does not make you a freak." Angel rolled her eyes, wondering what this lady was smoking.

"Yeah, sure. Try telling that to the general population," Angel replied sardonically. She might only be fifteen, but she wasn't delusional.

Storm was becoming increasingly annoyed. It seemed that this girl couldn't find good in anything. As the jam cleared and they began to move again, Storm asked, "Must you be so cynical?" Angel gave her an unreadable look before turning to stare out the window. There was silence, and then Angel quietly said, "Yes."

Who did this woman think she was? She knew nothing about Angel, and it could stay that way. No one needed to know the truth. No one...she was the only one who knew everything...the only one who remembered... She forced her mind away from that, refusing to let it overwhelm her.

The rest of the drive was silent, and after about 45 minutes, they had reached the school. Storm looked at her passenger. "Angel, this is it." The girl didn't reply. Storm sighed. "Listen, I know you don't believe me, but this place will be good for you. Come on."

Angel considered laughing in Ms. Munroe's face or just slapping her. She did neither, of course, just got her bag and followed the woman, her thoughts bitter. _She thinks no one ever told me that. She really thinks I might trust her. Sorry, lady. I trust no one._

A/N: Well? How was it? Sorry if Storm was OCC; I'm not the best at capturing canon characters. I try though.


	3. Meet and Greet

1Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, though Angel, Ian, and Kendra are (even if Ian and Kendra's parents aren't).

_Chapter 3 - Meet and Greet:_ Angel followed Ms. Munroe into the school, which looked more like a mansion than anything else, glancing around with interest. She couldn't help it. The assorted teens hanging around were obviously unafraid of displaying their powers. Already, Angel had seen a boy who could multiply himself, a girl who walked through walls, and twin girls moving objects through the air without touching them.

Soon, they had reached a wooden door. Ms. Munroe knocked and a voice said, "Come in." So they did. Angel found herself looking at a man behind a desk. He was bald and in a wheelchair, yet he radiated an aura of control and strength. He smiled and said, "Hello, Storm. I see things went well. Welcome, Angel. I assume Storm has explained matters?"

Angel nodded. Ms. Munroe - Storm? - said, "Professor, should I go get the other teachers?" The Professor replied, "If you want to." Storm left. The Professor turned back to Angel. "Let me introduce myself. I am Professor Charles Xavier, and I started this school twenty or so years ago as a refuge for young mutants like yourself. Most of the teachers are former students and all are mutants, so they understand what it's like. Now, could you give me a description of your powers?"

Angel blinked and said, "Well, I can read minds and emotions, and sometimes control people, though that only happened once, and I can do this thing - I call it lightbending. I can cause flashes of light and make myself invisible. I can't actually hurt anyone with it, but it's kinda cool." She was surprised at how truthful she was being, but this Professor seemed like the wrong one to lie to.

The Professor nodded. "So you are telepathic/empathic, meaning you have a connection to thoughts and emotions, and a control over light. Interesting." He looked like he was about to ask something else but the door opened and Storm walked in with three other adults. The man right behind her had dark, winged brown hair and a beard. He had the 'tough guy' attitude written all over him. The next person wasn't a person at all, or at least he didn't look like one. He was large, blue, and furry. The third man... he grated on Angel's nerves the second she laid eyes on him. He also had brown hair, though it lay flat. He was wearing weird red sunglasses that almost seemed to glow. All of this wasn't the problem. Her problem was the air he gave off. This guy practically screamed 'all American', the kind of guy who was a jock in school while maintaining honor roll. She hated that kind of person, especially if the person was a guy.

The Professor introduced them. The guy with a beard was named Logan and he taught gym. The blue, furry one was Dr. McCoy, and he taught science. Storm, as it turned out, was a history teacher, and the Professor taught English. The sunglasses guy was Scott Summers, or Cyclops, and he taught math. The Professor added, "You also take one special class; art, computers, or music." Angel didn't need to think about it. "Art," she said immediately.

The Professor nodded. "Storm also teaches that. Now, which language do you want to take? We offer Italian, Spanish, Latin, and French. I teach Latin and Italian, while Dr. McCoy teaches Spanish and French." Again, no question. "Italian," Angel replied. The Professor nodded and handed her a schedule. She took it and slipped it into a pocket. "Come on, Angel," Storm said. "I'll take you to the dorm rooms." Angel nodded and followed Storm out.

They went up a flight of steps and down another hall. After a bit, they reached yet another door. Storm knocked and then went right in. Three girls were in there, two playing a board game

and the third lying on her bed reading. There was an empty bed next to this one and Storm gestured to Angel that the empty bed was hers. Angel walked over and dropped her bag. Storm said, "Carla, Jodie, Kendra, this is Angel and she'll be your new roommate. The girls with the board game nodded and the reader smiled before turning to Angel and saying, "Hi. I'm Kendra Darkholme. The brunette over there is Carla and her black-haired girl is Jodie." Angel nodded and began unpacking. Kendra kept talking.

"So, how old are you anyway? I'm fifteen and a sophomore. What year are you in?" Angel looked around. "Fifteen," she said. "Sophomore. Do you always talk so much?" Kendra grinned as Carla groaned and Jodie said, "Always. We can't shut her up!"

"No, only Ian can do that. Ian," she added for Angel's benefit, "is my twin brother. You'd like him. So, nice dye job on your hair. Where'd you get that done?"

Angel touched her black-streaked blond locks. "Did it myself," she replied. "Who did yours?" The other girl's hair was a deep, unnatural red. Kendra's smile twisted. "That's not dyed. I just was born with it. Go figure." She went back to her book. Angel turned away. Her packing was done; she took her sketchbook and began to draw. Kendra was a good subject. Angel's pencil seemed almost to move on its own as she went, and a picture of Kendra, looking just like the girl, appeared from the pencil tip.

Kendra glanced over and let out a squeal of delight. "Oh, my God! Hey, that looks just like me!" Angel glanced up and smiled in spite of herself. "It is you, so that would be why it looks like you." Kendra grinned and said, "Come on, you gotta meet my brother. He'll love that." She grabbed Angel's wrist and tugged her along. Angel didn't bother trying to break free, though she was pretty sure she could've if she wanted.

Downstairs, the girls went into a TV room where a group of teen girls sat watching the TV movie, The Face on the Milk Carton. Angel liked that movie. She had the books it was based off as well as the other two in the series. Kendra went past this group, heading to where two boys were playing a game of chess. Angel followed as one of the boys grinned and said, "Checkmate." The other boy groaned and left. Kendra laughed and went over to the winning boy, saying, "Maybe start going easy on 'em, Ian. No one can beat you anymore."

Ian smiled at his sister and shrugged. "Can't go easy. The game sucks me in. I can't control my instincts and... bam. I win. What can I say?" He looked over his sister's shoulder and saw Angel. "Who is that?" he said. Kendra smirked. "My new roommate, Angel - hey, Angel, what's your last name?"

"Ravena," Angel replied. "OK," said Kendra. "Well, this is my brother, Angel. Ian Lensherr." Ian held out a hand. "Nice to meet you," he said. "I hope you survive sharing a room with my sister. She's a bit crazy." Angel laughed without meaning to. These two were easy to let her guard down around, even though she tried not to. "I'm sure I can handle it. I've known a lot of crazy people in my time." she told him dryly. Ian and Kendra both chuckled. "Not like me, you haven't," Kendra promised.

That night, Angel lay in bed listening to Evanescence on her CD player. What was she doing? Ian and Kendra were nice now, but that could change. _Who cares?_ part of her said. _It's still nice to be liked._ It was, but would it last? Angel didn't know. After wondering for a while, she fell asleep, still uncertain.

A/N: Yeah, a bit corny, but, well, I have to introduce people somehow. Anyway, R&R!


	4. Just Another Day At Mutant High

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, and Kendra are.

_Chapter 4 - Just Another Day at Mutant High:_ The next morning, Angel found herself eating breakfast with Ian and Kendra. It was quiet for a bit, and then Kendra said, "You know, we never discussed powers. What can you do, Angel?" Angel stared at her cereal. Tell the truth? she wondered.

"I'm telepathic/empathic. I can read minds and emotions." She didn't mention the lightbending. There was no reason to, really. Lightbending was a cool trick, nothing more. Kendra studied her, then said, "I do illusions, both ones you can see, like mirages, and ones that are completely inside your head." Angel glanced at Ian. "What can you do?" she asked him. He scowled. "Cytomanipulation. It means I can alter cells. I can heal, hurt, even kill, just by envisioning changes in a person's cells." Angel felt a chill run down her spine. That was a dangerous power, but so were hers and Kendra's.

Kendra shook her head, then snatched Angel's schedule. "Hmm," she said. "Ian and I have geometry with you at first period, and you and I have gym after that, but then I don't see you again till lunch at fifth and then English at seventh. You have history at fourth with Ian and... Hey! You take chemistry? That's eleventh grade science!" Angel shrugged. "I had bio last year, so chem is this year. They skipped me past physical science," she explained to the confused redhead. "Oh," Kendra said. "So you'll have a class with juniors..." She sighed dreamily after this statement, leaving Angel very puzzled until Ian remarked, "Damn, Kendra. Stop mooning over Jake. He's dating that girl Jubilee." Kendra gave her brother a dark look but said nothing.

Together, the teens headed for geometry. Ian liked this class; he was really good at it and Cyclops had always been his favorite teacher. "I don't see how you can like that guy," Angel remarked. "He's so... military and by-the-book. And he teaches math... math sucks. What's with the dumb shades he's got, anyway?" Kendra laughed, but Ian shook his head, saying, "He's just touchy... his fiancee died a few months ago; cut the guy some slack. And yeah, the glasses... I see the point, but considering that if he took 'em off, a laser blast would come out of his eyes, well, I'd rather he left them on, wouldn't you?" Angel shrugged. She still thought the guy seemed like a jerk, but that was a power that had to suck and losing a loved one was no fun either.

But by the end of the class, Angel wouldn't care what Mr. Military (as she silently dubbed Cyclops) had been through. Her reading of him had been dead-on, and, as she had expected, there was conflict in the very first lesson.

It was a stupid thing, really. The subject they were covering that day, Angel had done the previous week at Chandler High, her old school. She'd brought her old notebooks with her, so she had the notes on this skill already and simply didn't feel like copying them down again. Sure, Mr. Farr, her former teacher, had used different examples, but it meant the same thing, right? Well, according to Mr. Military, it didn't. He must have noticed she wasn't writing and came over to check it out.

"Angel, isn't it?" he wanted to know. Angel nodded. He continued, "Well, Angel, are you planning to pass this course? I notice you don't have any notes." Angel sighed and turned back the notebook pages to show him that she had it already. He glanced at it and said, "That doesn't look like what I have." Angel looked at him and wondered if she dared make a retort. Ian's remark that Cyclops was 'touchy' came to mind, and it probably wasn't good to get on the bad side of a guy who shot laser beams out of his eyes, but... Angel realized she didn't care too much. "Yeah," she said, "well, that's just the examples. It really comes to the same thing, so I didn't see the point in recopying something I have already." Cyclops scowled at her and said, "Copy my notes as well. You never know if the examples will be on a test." Angel bit her tongue, but it did no good. "Why?" she retorted. "Why bother with rewriting what I have already? Why is it such a big deal? I'm not doing it." Really, she would have added his examples at least, but he was irking her so much she refused completely. It would have been against her nature to do otherwise.

But she'd gone a bit too far. The students had been extra-careful around Cyclops lately, because they didn't want him going off on them. The unfortunate few who had ticked him off since the Alkali Lake incident had vehemently told their classmates to watch it. Normally, after a point-blank refusal to do something, Cyclops might have just told Angel to remain after class, but now he gave her a week's detention. And she wound up copying the notes after all, though in yet another gesture of defiance, she ripped out the page and tossed it in the trash. Luckily, Mr. Military didn't notice, or she would've been in more trouble.

Angel and Kendra left Ian after first and headed down to the lower levels for gym with Logan. Kendra said they called Logan by his first name and that was it, and while Angel thought this was a bit weird, she'd come to see that Xavier's really didn't follow the normal rules. Neither did gym. In this class, they used powers, and even better, they were not learning sports, which she was horrible at, but fighting techniques. Angel really didn't get into fights except verbal ones. She'd learned to use empathy to make people wary of her, so they rarely bothered her. Still, she enjoyed the lesson... though she was a more than a bit sore afterwards.

Next, she had Italian, which was a laugh. Angel already spoke Italian. Her mother had been born in Italy and had left at 14. But, it had been years since Angel had routinely spoken the language, and she had forgotten things. She took Italian now as a refresher course, while pretending she didn't know as much as she really did. Luckily, the Professor didn't seem to suspect anything. If he did, she'd probably be told to pick another language, which would not be fun.

Fourth period came history, and she sat with Ian. Storm didn't care where they sat as long as they didn't disrupt class. The class was at the French Revolution, and Angel was engrossed in the lesson. She'd always enjoyed history. It seemed less like fact sometimes and more like a really long story.

At lunch, Kendra complained about the large amount of homework she and Ian had received in biology, which they had at third period. Ian told Angel that it was really not that bad, that Kendra loved drama, and Angel grinned. Ian smiled back and Kendra shut up, her eyes narrowing as she looked between her brother and her friend. There was something in Ian's smile...

Angel walked into chemistry after lunch, and realized she didn't know anyone. The other students were heading for tables, laughing and joking. Angel stood there, feeling like an idiot, when a girl with brown hair and two white streaks in front came over to her. "Hi," she said. "I'm Rogue. Wanna sit with my group?" Angel shrugged. "Sure," she replied, secretly relieved.

As they sat down, Rogue said, "This is Bobby, Jubilee, and Jake." She pointed to each one as she spoke. "What's your name?" Jubilee asked Angel. Angel introduced herself. She glanced at Jake. He was cute, with blond hair and hazel eyes, but she wasn't really interested in him, except to note that this was the boy Kendra had a crush on.

English was just like at Chandler. William Shakespeare and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, British lit 101. Not that Angel minded. She liked English class, always had, and the Professor's reading voice - they were working on an excerpt from _Hamlet_ - was the type to make you listen.

Ian met Kendra and Angel outside of English, and they walked together to their three specials. Ian took computer (Mr. Military taught that too; Angel was grateful she hadn't picked it) and Kendra took music, which was taught by a Ms. Richards, who Angel hadn't met. This was apparently due to the fact that Ms. Richards had just come back from Boston the night before, where she was visiting a sick relative.

Ian left the group first, waving goodbye as he entered the computer lab. Angel and Kendra kept going, until they reached a crossing where Kendra turned left and Angel right. Kendra called, "Have fun!" Angel shook her head and walked down the hall to art.

The art room was a large, well-lit room with skylights and large windows. A small handful of students were scattered about, some sitting in groups around circular tables, others sitting alone at desks. Angel picked a desk right near a window and waited for Storm.

The white-haired woman entered the room and smiled at her students. "I see we've lost a few," she said lightly. A boy with bright blue hair called out, "Yeah, they copped out to take music instead. Music's too easy." Storm shook her head, but Angel sensed the teacher's amusement.

Storm continued, "Today's assignment is really simple. Create something inspired by nature. You can do anything, as long as it fits that. Use any materials you want." Angel watched the other students run to the supply table. She waited until the crowd had dissipated, and then went over herself. She grabbed a piece of paper and some charcoals. She preferred working with charcoal over any other tool. The blacks, whites, and grays suited her perfectly. Angel returned to her desk and sat down, wondering what to do. And then she saw it. Smiling, she got to work.

5 minutes before the period's end, Storm walked around, looking at the kids' work. She saw paintings of sunsets, carvings of trees and even a half-finished wax wolf. She came around to Angel last and glanced down at the girl's paper.

Angel had drawn a cliff over the ocean. It was night, made obvious by the moon in the sky that was reflected in the water below. The water's surface was not smooth; rather, it was rough, with tall waves. A tree on the cliff showed that the wind was blowing strongly, and there was an empty boat being tossed about on the waves. Storm was impressed; the sketch was really quite good.

"Excellent, Angel." Angel was surprised to hear it. She hated doing things off the top of her head and thought this sucked. She liked her art when it captured something she'd seen with her own eyes, not envisioned in her imagination. She thanked Storm quietly.

After class, Angel was walking out, lagging behind the other kids, when Storm called her over. Angel went, wondering if something was wrong.

Storm just wanted to check up on her, as it turned out. "How's it going so far?" she asked. Angel shrugged and replied, "This place is different, to say the least. I never knew... I mean, most mutants hide what they are, try to blend in, but here..." Storm nodded, saying, "We show who we are and don't act ashamed. I know. I was surprised when I first came too. You'd better go. I'm sure your new friends Kendra and Ian are looking for you."

Angel met Kendra and Ian upstairs, and they started their homework in the rec room. At dinner, Kendra said, "So, Angel, you like your first day at Mutant High?" Angel studied the redhead with thoughtful green eyes and then shrugged, noting the girl who flung potatoes at a boy telekinetically and a large boy changing his skin to metal and back again. She nodded slowly, remarking, "It's certainly interesting, but hectic. It's not always this nuts, right?"

Kendra snickered slightly before answering. When she did reply, she said, "Hectic? You ain't seen nothing yet, my friend. This was normal. Just another day at Mutant High."

A/N: Yes, this was dull, but she lives in a school, and I figured I'd better give you an idea of her classes. Also, for you purists out there, sorry, but I'm not doing any accents like Rogue's. I can never get them right, and I figure it's better not to have them rather than force you guys to read my mutilated versions.


	5. When Caseworkers Come Calling

1Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 5 - When Caseworkers Come Calling:_ Angel glanced at the clock in Mr. Military's classroom. It was Saturday, but her detentions weren't up, so she was sitting at a desk at 1:00 on the afternoon, waiting for her two hours to be up. She had about 30 minutes to go when Mr. Military said, "Angel, the Professor just contacted me. He wants to see you in his office. We'll add an extra half-hour tomorrow to make up for this." Angel clenched her jaw but wisely said nothing as she walked out.

When she got to the Professor's office, Angel knocked on the door, wondering what had happened. The Professor called, "Come in," and Angel entered. It took only a moment for her to register that Ms. Simmons, her caseworker, was standing there, and that the Professor was reading over a file Angel recognized; her own. Angel stiffened subconsciously; she knew that as the head of the school, the Professor was her legal guardian now, meaning he had a right to see her file, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Hello, Angel," Ms. Simmons said, smiling. Angel didn't smile back. The caseworker continued, "I've just been showing Mr. Xavier your file. Why don't you come with me? I've got some things I need to discuss with you." Angel glanced at the Professor; he nodded. So she followed Ms. Simmons out of the school.

"You have a new car," Angel remarked as they drove into town. She wondered where they were going. Normally they went to McDonald's or Burger King and Ms. Simmons asked the requisite questions; "How are things?" "Do you like your placement?" and so on. But Westchester was pretty small; there was no McDonald's or Burger King around. So they went to a local place called The Burger Stop instead. Angel ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a cookies & cream milkshake. Ms. Simmons got water and a salad.

"So, Angel, do you like the school?" Ms. Simmons asked. Angel shrugged. "It's OK, I guess," she said finally." Ms. Simmons sighed. "Angel, you need to be more receptive to things." Angel said nothing, just sipped her milkshake.

"Well," the caseworker continued, "I've got good news. They've moved your mother out of the closed unit and you can visit her again. Of course, you need permission from your guardian and..."

Angel was no longer listening. She could see her mother again! Angel's mother, Maria, had severe depression, and she was suicidal. After Maria's second suicide attempt, when Angel was 8, she'd been sent to Williams Psychiatric Institution and Angel had been left to Child Services. Her mother had been on the closed ward for over a year, because she'd been out of touch with reality, lost in the past and in her grief. It had made her a danger to herself and others.Angel hadn't even been able to write. She missed her mother so much, and finally, she could see her again. And as for asking the Professor's permission, that was not happening. Either he would tell her no or insist that one of the teachers accompany her. She wasn't sure which would be worse. Sneaking out would get her in trouble, but she didn't care. Seeing her mother was more important.

Ms. Simmons brought her back to the school about 25 minutes later, and Angel went up to her room. She would go tomorrow. They wouldn't miss her on a Sunday, hopefully. And if they did, oh well. She knew her way around the city; she was in no danger. And as for any punishment, she was sure she had dealt with consequences worse than any she might get here.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the introduction of a bit of Angel's history. Yes, things are beginning to speed up a little, but I think that is a good thing. And for anyone who has/had depression, is/was suicidal, or knows someone with these conditions, I'm sorry if I've insulted you.


	6. Visitation

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 6 - Visitation:_ The next morning, after breakfast, Angel grabbed her CD player and her jacket before using her lightbending to go invisible. Unseen, she slipped out the back door and walked off the grounds before becoming visible again.

She headed down to where she'd seen a train station on her way here with Storm. A ticket to New York was 20 dollars. Angel had $55 in her pocket, from her last few odd jobs. She paid the fare and boarded the train. Soon she was back in New York. Angel sighed. She'd been born and raised here; she was a city girl, and however nice Xavier's was, this just felt familiar.

Angel caught the subway to a stop just down the street from Williams. She walked the block and a half to the institution. When she went inside, she had to give her name to the receptionist and sign in before heading upstairs.

She had almost reached the area where her mother lived when she was stopped by Maria's doctor, Dr. Richards. He smiled at her. "Hello, Angel. It's nice to see you again. I'm sure you were glad to hear that your mother is able to see you now." Angel nodded; of course she was! Talk about a no-brainer.

She left the doctor after a few more minutes of pleasantries, and continued on her way. Her mother was on an unlocked ward, and so Angel went right in. It only took a moment to spot her mother, and Angel ran over. "Ciao, mamma! Come stai?" she called.

Maria spun around as her daughter ran over. "Angie! Why didn't you say you were coming? And to answer your question, io sto bene. E tu?"

Angel grinned. "Cosi-cosi, but who cares? They're still treating you right, aren't they? If not..." Maria shook her head. "I'm fine, Angie, but you... I never told you how sorry I am. I should have never... well, I wish things were different and I'd taken better care of you."

Angel felt a chill. She recognized the sad note her mother's voice had gained, and it worried her. Sure, the years in foster care hadn't been a walk in the park, but her mom didn't know that, and didn't need to. It might make her worse because she'd definitely feel guilty. "It's all right, Mom, really," she said. "I'm at this prep school now, a boarding school called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. It's nice, I've made friends, yes, my geometry teacher is evil, but whatever." She tossed in the bit about Cyclops knowing it would make her mother laugh, and it did. Angel had spent years making sure her mother never got too depressed, and though she was a bit rusty, she obviously hadn't lost the skill.

Mother and daughter talked for hours, about all kinds of things. It was wonderful and yet was also torture for Angel. She hated lying to her mom, but she'd do anything to keep her mom from sinking back into depression. She always had and always would.

Finally, the nurses asked Angel to leave. She did so, giving her mom her new address so they could write. Her mom cried; Angel didn't, though she might've had she been younger. She didn't cry easily, but she almost wished she did.

After she left, Angel headed back to the train station, but something odd happened on the way there. A bag lady grabbed her by the arm, croaking, "Don't say anything, don't draw attention. I won't hurt you." Angel frowned but obeyed. She could get away if she had to. "Good girl," the woman muttered, and then her eyes went out of focus. "Beware," she whispered. "Beware of those who rise... those who are meant to be dead."

Angel didn't get it. Those who were supposed to be dead? But somehow, she got the idea that this wasn't a joke. This woman wasn't crazy; Angel's telepathy confirmed it. And she wasn't playing a game... was she a clairvoyant? Angel didn't want to know; the woman let go and she ran all the way back to the station.

Angel came back into the school the same way she left, and, invisible, returned to her room. But she'd miscalculated. They had noticed she was gone, and as she went in the room, Kendra said, "I'll give you three guesses on who wants to see you - first two don't count." Angel sighed and left for the Professor's office.

Italian translations:

_Ciao, mamma_: Hi, Mom

_Come stai_: How are you?

_Io sto bene_: I'm fine

_E tu_: And you?

_Cosi-cosi_: OK

A/N: So... Angel's in trouble... again. Yeah, I know, what's next? Breaking into Cerebro? Anyway, I know the bag lady scene sucked, but I'm sure some of you know where I'm heading with this? The lady's not crazy and this will become my version of X3, which should tell you all you need to know...


	7. The XKids

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 7 - The X-Kids:_ "Angel, I want you to tell me why you decided to sneak out today, and why you couldn't simply ask permission to go somewhere?" the Professor asked. Angel shrugged. "Sorry, Professor, but, well, I figured you'd probably say no or make an adult go with me."

The Professor frowned. "Where did you go, Angel?" he asked, and his tone suggested that she had no choice but to answer. She sighed. "Well, you've read my file. You know about my mom and her... problem. She just came out of the closed ward and I had to see her. I didn't think I'd be missed."

The Professor nodded. " I understand, but you simply cannot just run off that way. I'm afraid that you will have two more detentions, but with me, not Scott." Angel couldn't help it; her mouth quirked up at one side. So the Professor had noticed the mutual dislike between herself and Mr. Military. Of course I did, Angel. I am psychic after all, the Professor's voice rang in her head. Aloud he said, "You can leave if you want, Angel. You'll report for detention the same time as you do now, but here, and not until after your first detentions are over." Angel nodded and left.

When Angel got back to her room, out of her roommates, Kendra was the only one of her roommatesthere. Ian was there, though, and the two were having an intense discussion from the looks of it. Ian looked up as she came in. "Angel!" he said, surprised. "Hey," she said. Kendra gave her a questioning look. Guessing what it was about, she said, "Two more detentions, but with the Professor." Kendra shook her head and Ian sighed in mock exasperation.

"You're crazy. Not even here two full weeks and already you have how many detentions?" Kendra drawled. Angel shrugged.

"Not sure exactly, come to think of it," she remarked. "So where's Jodie and Carla?" she asked.

Ian looked at his sister, and then said, "They're, um, where we ought to be, but we waited for you." Angel raised an eyebrow, inviting him to continue. He did. "You see, there was this attack on the school about 5 months ago, by a man named William Stryker, and as it happened... you know about the X-Men, right?" Angel nodded and he kept going. "Well, no one was here except Wolverine, because the Professor and Cyclops went to go see... a mutant in prison and Storm and Dr. Grey -"

"Who?" Angel said. She'd never heard that name before. Kendra sighed. "Dr. Grey. She died 5 months ago." So that was the woman they'd mentioned earlier, Mr. Military's girlfriend, fiancee, or something like that. "Oh," she said.

Ian continued, "Some of us were captured, like Kendra. I wound up with Logan, Rogue, Bobby, and a kid named John - he left - and we went looking for Storm and Dr. Grey. After the attack, some of us kids got together and decided that if something like this ever happened again, we ought to be ready. So we have our own little group, and because we're very unoriginal, we call ourselves the X-Kids. The adults and the other kids don't know - or least, we don't think they know." _Well, that's the kicker, isn't it?_ Angel remarked silently.

"So, wait. Am I being recruited?" Angel wanted to know. Kendra and Ian both nodded. "You guys are nuts," the blond girl muttered, but in a louder voice added, "OK."

The twins smiled and practically marched her downstairs and into a room she'd never noticed before. Inside waiting were other kids, including Carla and Jodie, as well as Bobby, Rogue, Jubilee, and Jake form her chem class. There were also three kids she didn't know, who introduced themselves as Kitty, Jamie, and Mark. They looked Angel over and then nodded.

Angel had never been involved in something like this. These kids were dead serious. They had plans of attack and evacuation, and they acted like soldiers. It was a bit creepy, but Angel thought they were pretty smart. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry. And if they'd been attacked before, it could happen again.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that Bobby had made a small but important mistake. "Hey Bobby," she said, "maybe you should try..."

That night, Angel went to bed exhausted. It had been an eventful day. But sleep wasn't very relaxing. She tossed and turned, caught in vague dreams of danger and darkness. But the only clear image that she was left with the next morning were a pair of eyes that blazed with fire.

A/N: If you don't see where I'm headed with this... I'm stunned. Let's just say, things will get very interesting... though not immediately.


	8. Birthday Wishes

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 8 - Birthday Wishes:_ The weeks passed, and suddenly it was December 31, New Year's Eve. Angel sat on a bench outside in the yard, watching the sunset. "Sixteen today," she muttered, tossing one of her light-balls into the air. New Year's Eve was Angel's birthday, though she hadn't mentioned that. She'd already gotten Christmas gifts - a set of drawing pencils and oil pastels from Kendra and the paperback version of the sixth Harry Potter book from Ian - and she'd always counted Christmas gifts for birthday gifts too, considering how close the two days were.

"Hey." She turned around to see Ian. She smiled and gestured for him to sit down. He did so, before saying, "Why are you sitting out here by yourself? It's cold, and besides, it's the holidays."

"I thought your New Year was in October," she shot back. Ian and Kendra had said that they were Jewish ages ago. He grinned.

"That's the _religious_ New Year. This is the secular one. And you're Catholic, so you don't have that excuse."

"Damn, I knew I should have converted. Or been Chinese. Their New Year's in February." He laughed, and so did she, but then she sobered. "It's my birthday today." She didn't know why she'd brought it up; it just slipped out.

"You kept that quiet!" Ian said indignantly. Angel shrugged. "Why didn't you say something? It's your 16th, right?" Angel nodded. "That's supposed to be a big year for girls - Kendra's planning a big surprise party for Jodie in February - so why didn't you say something?"

"It's just a number. Besides, most people only talk about birthdays to get gifts, and my Christmas gifts count."

"Isn't there anything you want for your birthday besides week-old gifts given for a different reason?" He shook his head, looking confused.

"Sure, but you just gave it to me." At his lost look, she elaborated. "I'm glad to know that someone actually gives a damn about me, that I'm not all alone. It's worth a lot more than some gift, though I loved yours. Your sister's too, for that matter."

"I noticed all your books were paperback. Easier to carry, right?" She nodded, looking away from him to continue watching the sunset. He gripped her chin, making her face him, and the lightness was gone from his tone when he spoke again. "I care about you, Ang. So does Kendra, and Rogue, and the rest of our friends. We're a family here. You never have to be alone again, at least not really. If you want time by yourself, that's different." His humor returned at the end of his little speech. Angel smiled, a true smile, and Ian smiled back.

A/N: Hmm... I was going to have a kiss in this chapter, but my muse apparently changed my mind for me. And yeah, this was a bit sappy, but I havesomehell planned for Angel, and I owe the girl some happy times first. R&R!


	9. The Doctor Who Cheated Death

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 9 - The Doctor Who Cheated Death:_ A few days later, Ian, Kendra, and Angel were sitting on the stairs near the front door, comparing their report cards. Kendra's highest score was in biology (so much for her complaints on the subject's difficulty, as Angel pointed out), Ian's in geometry, and Angel's in history. They'd all aced their specials, but Ian struggled with history, Kendra was lost when it came to Spanish, and Angel was skating on very thin ice as far as geometry was concerned. Still, all in all, they'd done pretty well and were pleased with their marks.

The doorbell rang. Kendra got up to get it when Rogue called, "I got it!" to the others in the rec room and came out to answer it. She opened the door and the three kids on the step cringed as the sunlight hit their eyes. "Hel-" Rogue began, but her voice stopped abruptly, as though she were in a sudden state of shock.

The person at the door laughed. "Rogue, you look like you've seen a ghost." Kendra gasped and suddenly took off for the Professor's office. Angel looked over at Ian, who had gone strangely pale.

"OK, did I miss something?" she hissed. "Who is that?"

Ian blinked and turned to her. "Dr. Grey. You remember Kendra and I told you about her?"

"Yeah... but you said she was dead."

"We all thought she was, but..."

"Apparently you were mistaken."

Just then they were interrupted by Dr. Grey, who had sidestepped Rogue and now stood at the foot of the steps, looking up at them. "You do know I can hear you, right, Ian? And... I'm sorry, but I don't know your name, young lady."

"It's Angel."

"Ah. Well, to both of you, it would be nice if you saved the gossip until the subject is not -"

But it was Dr. Grey's turn to be cut off as a hoarse voice Angel recognized as Mr. Summers' said, "Jean?"

"Scott?" she said, turning to where he'd just come out of a door to her right.

"Oh my God." That wasn't Cyclops or Dr. Grey; it was Storm, standing at the top of the stairs. Angel and Ian looked at one another and quickly got off the stairs as Storm came down. Ian headed towards the rec room and Angel followed for a minute, and then, turning invisible, doubled back to the entrance hall, curious.

The Professor was there by this time, and considering the fact that both Storm and Cyclops were hugging the redhead, Angel assumed that this was the real Dr. Grey. But she was supposed to be dead. How interesting, Angel mused, watching the adults talking. She noticed Logan, standing nearby watching. She sensed that he wanted to join them, but the way his eyes were focused on Dr. Grey's and Cyclops' intertwined hands told her the whole story.

"I would have come back sooner," Dr. Grey was saying, "but I lost my memory completely. I only got it back a few weeks ago and I've been traveling ever since."

"Why didn't you call once you remembered, Jean?" Cyclops asked.

"I would have, except I didn't think you'd believe me. I thought it was better to just come straight here, that if I called, you'd think it was just Mystique playing some sick joke." Mystique? Who was that? Angel made a note to ask Ian and Kendra.

The adults were leaving, presumably headed for the infirmary, when Dr. Grey turned her head for a moment, her eyes landing precisely where Angel was. In fact, Angel could have sworn the doctor's eyes were focused straight on her own.

Then the moment was over and they were all gone. Angel turned visible again and sank to the ground. The sense she'd gotten in that instant was overpowering, but very strange. It was a sense of... _duality_ almost, that felt familiar, but she couldn't place it.

A/N: And now we hit thereal story... by the way, this fic is going to pretty much disregard X3, though I do like the different classes of mutants and that may well make an appearance.


	10. Family History

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 10 - Family History:_ Angel turned visible again and hurried to the rec room, where she saw Ian waiting for her. "Come on," he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her with him as he began walking. The whole room was buzzing with talk, but a quick glance around showed her that none of the X-Kids were in the area.

"Quit dragging me, Ian," she said. "What, is there an emergency X-Kids meeting or something?" She was joking, but Ian nodded. "But, isn't it good that this Dr. Grey's alive?"

"You don't get it, Ang. She was drowned under enough water to fill a _lake_. We were almost all there. It was..."

"How'd that happen?"

"A dam broke, and the X-Jet was damaged. She used telekinesis to hold off the water and to lift up the jet. I just... we don't know how she could have survived it, and frankly, we're all spooked."

"Can't blame you for that," Angel conceded. "So, what's the plan?"

Ian shrugged, running a hand through his black hair. "Don't know. Right now, nothing, I guess. Wait and see what exactly is going on here."

They'd made it to the secret passage that had apparently been the way many kids escaped during that attack, and which now led to a room built - or knocked out of rock, which was more accurate - by another member of the X-Kids, a boy named Piotr. The group had made it safe - Angel wasn't sure how they'd done it, but she didn't ask - and snuck a table and chairs into it to make a fairly good secret meeting room.

"Hey," Bobby said when Ian and Angel came in. The two teens sat down on either side of Kendra and looked at Bobby. He'd started the group and was effectively the leader. "Kendra and Rogue were just telling us what happened. Either of you have anything to add?" Bobby said.

"Yeah," said Angel, and she told them about the part of the conversation she'd overheard - she'd told the group about her lightbending ages ago, so they didn't ask how she'd gone unnoticed. She didn't mention the unnerving last second, when Dr. Grey had looked at her and that weird feeling had rushed over her.

"So it really is her," said Kitty, who sounded as though she were almost in a state of shock.

"Seems so," remarked Jamie.

"Yeah," Angel said. "And who's Mystique? Dr. Grey mentioned her." Ian and Kendra stiffened.

"You want to tell her?" Bobby asked the twins. "It's got more to do with you than anyone."

Kendra scowled. "OK. She's our mother." Angel stared at her.

"It gets better," Ian said bitterly. "You ever heard of Magneto? The mutant terrorist?" Angel nodded. "She's his main lieutenant, and also his lover. He happens to be our father."

"Damn... but how could she have pretended to br Dr. Grey?" At their blank faces, she explained how she'd heard Mystique's name in the first place.

"She's a shape-shifter," Kendra explained. "And he creates magnetic fields, hence the name Magneto. They're the ones that kid John, or Pyro, left with."

_Nice_, Angel thought sarcastically. "So," she said, "all that aside, what's the problem here? Someone you all thought was dead is alive, and this isn't good?"

"Not so simple," Jake said sadly. "It's a bit weird. I mean, how did she _survive_ that?"

"Like I said before," Ian put in, "We're spooked."

But there didn't seem to be much else to say, and the meeting adjourned. Ian, Kendra, and Angel headed upstairs, into the room Angel and Kendra shared with Jodie and Carla, who weren't there. "I'm sorry for bringing up your parents," Angel said softly.

"It's OK," Kendra assured her. "I mean, you didn't know."

"I'm surprised they let you live here."

"They don't," Ian told her. "We ran away. The Professor... he used to be best friends with our father, but they disagree on so much. Father thinks the sapiens will never accept us; the Professor works to teach acceptance."

Angel shook her head. She wasn't sure she agreed with the Professor either, but she didn't think killing people was such a good idea. "And how does your father plan to fix this problem, then?"

Ian and Kendra exchanged sad looks, and told her. They told her all about his trick at Liberty Island, which was apparently what convinced them to leave. They also explained about how he tried to make the Professor kill all humans the way they'd told her Stryker had tried to kill all mutants, by using a copy of the Professor's machine called Cerebro. Angel winced, remembering the strange pain she'd felt months earlier that she now knew was Cerebro, and how, almost as soon as her pain and that of a few others at Larkspur - who she now knew had to be mutants as well - had ended, everyone else had collapsed in the same way.

"That's... awful," she whispered, shocked.

"Yeah," Kendra agreed. "But, that's why we're here. We want to join the X-Men one day, so we can stop them." But Angel caught what was left unsaid, that neither twin really wanted to hurt their parents. They loved them, despite it all. It reminded Angel of her feelings toward her own father, a man with whom Angel shared her green eyes, and little else, not even a name. His name was James MacKenzie, and he'd walked out when Angel was 4. She hadn't seen or heard from him since, but in an odd way, she still loved and missed him. And of course, Maria, who could barely take care of herself, much less Angel. But she loved her mother desperately and would have done anything for her. It was so crazy, for all of them, Angel reflected sadly.

"Let's change the subject. It's too depressing," Ian remarked, and with a bit of effort, the talk turned casual. But the shadows of their parents, mentioned or not, loomed over them, despite their attempts to avoid it.

And that night, when Angel was trying to sleep, another shadow of sorts came to darken her thoughts. _Beware of those who rise... those who are meant to be dead._ Angel sat bolt upright in bed as the bag lady's words replayed in her head. Was the woman talking about Dr. Grey? And if so, what was going to happen?

A/N: No, Ian and Kendra are not modeled after Wanda and Pietro from X-Men Evolution. I'd actually forgotten about them when I came up with the characters. And they don't exist in my version of the X-universe; as of now, Ian and Kendra are the only children of the Master of Magnetism. I'm also not using the storyline of Nightcrawler being Mystique's son and Rogue being her adopted daughter. Any of that would confuse the family tree a bit too much, don't you think?


	11. New Teacher

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 11 - New Teacher:_ Five days later, Angel walked into her chemistry class and was surprised to see that Dr. McCoy wasn't there. "Hey, where's the teacher?" she asked Rogue, who shrugged.

"Don't know. Maybe he's sick," the brunette replied, glancing at the door as Bobby and Jake walked in with Jubilee. Jubilee asked the same thing Angel had, causing both Angel and Rogue to laugh, just as the bell rang.

"OK, settle down, class is starting," said a female voice at the door. It was Dr. Grey.

"Dr.Grey? Are you taking over our chem class?" Bobby asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"Yes, Bobby. Dr. McCoy and I are going to split the science classes up, and I'm taking the chemistry course. Now, I believe you were supposed to start chapter 12 today?" There was a general murmur of assent and Dr. Grey nodded. "OK, then turn to page 394. Can anyone tell me what a metalloid is?" Angel raised her hand.

"Yes, Angel?"

"A metalloid is one of the three categories of chemical elements. Metalloids have properties in between that of metals and nonmetals. The most common way of distinguishing metalloids from nonmetals is that metalloids are usually semiconductors, while metals are conductors."

"Very good. I take it Dr. McCoy has you read the chapter ahead of time?" There were nods from various students. "All right then. Now, metalloids..."

At the end of class, Dr. Grey assigned for homework the chapter review questions, and dismissed them. As Angel put her chemistry book away, Dr. Grey said, "Angel? Could you come here for a minute? I'll write a note for your next class." Angel came over to the teacher's desk, wondering what Dr. Grey wanted.

"Angel, I know the Professor teaches the kids here about abusing their powers, and I wonder if you've been paying attention." Angel gave her a blank look. "The other day. I know you were there eavesdropping." Angel flinched. _Oh, shit..._

"I didn't mention it to anyone, and I'm not going to, but I wanted to tell you that you should try to mind your own business from now on, because snooping can get you in a lot of trouble. You can go now." Angel nodded and fled.

She told Kendra later. "Huh. That doesn't sound like Dr. Grey at all. She's never so abrupt with people, even when she's mad," Kendra remarked, frowning.

"Maybe she's PMSing," Angel quipped. Kendra rolled her eyes.

"Very funny."

"I thought so."

"You would. Seriously though, Angel, it's not normal for her."

Angel shrugged. "Well, it was rude of me to do, but I've always done it. That's how... well, let's just say it's come in handy before."

Kendra nodded. "Well, you were in foster care, so I imagine it would be useful."

"Trust me, chica," Angel told her friend dryly, "You have no idea."

A/N: OK, this was a total filler chapter, I admit it. And as for the somewhat OOCness of Jean, um... what can I say here without being more obvious than I already am? It's deliberate, let's just leave it at that. R&R, people!


	12. Deal With A Demon

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 12 - Deal With A Demon:_ That night, Angel found she couldn't sleep. So she crept out her room and headed downstairs. As she was passing the library, an odd red glow from within caught her eye. Curious, she peeked inside, and couldn't stifle a gasp as she saw Dr. Grey floating in midair, emitting the red glow, her eyes closed. At the small sound of Angel's gasp though, her eyes opened, glowing as red as the ones Angel had dreamed about. Angel froze, paralyzed by shock and more than a little fear. But suddenly she was walking forward, as though controlled.

"I thought I warned you to mind your own business," Dr. Grey said, and her voice sounded odd, echoing strangely.

Angel swallowed hard. "I wasn't trying to spy, I just couldn't sleep, and I thought maybe the red light was fire or something." She was lying, but she hoped it wasn't too obvious.

Whether it was obvious or not, it didn't work. "You're lying, but no matter. You haven't caused me any trouble yet, but you could make things difficult..."

"Sorry? Dr. Grey, how..."

"I'm not Jean Grey, you silly girl! I am Phoenix. Jean Grey is long gone, leaving her shell for me to take."

_That sounds pleasant_, Angel thought, but didn't say. Phoenix?

"Your mother..." Phoenix said thoughtfully. Angel stiffened. How did she know? "I know a lot of things," Phoenix said. "I could help her... if you will help me."

Angel stared at her. Help for her mother? But at what price? "What do you need me for?" Phoenix smiled, a slow, lazy smile that sent chills down Angel's spine.

"I know your little friends suspect something is off about 'Jean.' The last thing I need is for one of them to go to that fool Xavier. All I want from you is to derail their suspicions. If you do that, once I'm done here, I'll cure your mother. You and she can be together again."

Angel bit her lip. On the one hand, she really wanted her mother to be cured, but on the other, she didn't know what Phoenix wanted. Was she willing to risk the lives of her friends to help her mother? She knew Maria would say not to do it, to forget about her, but Angel couldn't do that. Her first responsibility was to her mother. "All right," she whispered, looking Phoenix in the eye.

A/N: No, Angel's not going bad. This 'deal' is going to fall through very soon...


	13. Crash and Burn

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 13 - Crash and Burn:_ A few days passed without incident. Angel didn't have to say anything to anyone; whatever her friends were thinking, they kept it to themselves. Then there was another X-Kids meeting. Rogue, Bobby, and Jake all said they thought something was wrong. Then Ian suggested talking to the Professor. Angel cut in, feeling guilty as she did so.

"You guys really think that's necessary? I mean, she nearly died and then wound up with amnesia. Maybe her acting weird is just a side effect. I know I didn't know her before, but that means I'm more objective. And I do know that trauma messes people up."

They looked at her oddly. Finally Bobby said, "Maybe you're right. We shouldn't say anything just yet, but if it keeps up, then we might have to."

"What was that about?" Kendra demanded afterwards.

"I just thought you guys are jumping to conclusions, Kendra. I wasn't trying to cause any trouble."

"We aren't, though. There's definitely something wrong with Dr. Grey," Ian insisted. _You have no idea_, Angel thought sadly.

Ian and Kendra were mad at her, so Angel went out into the backyard, sitting in the same place she had on her birthday. "I'm sorry, guys," she whispered, "but I have to do this. She's going to save my mom." Angel sighed, watching the sunset.

She sat there for a few minutes, trying to calm herself down. Suddenly her stomach lurched. Her head began pounding. Angel reached out with her mind, trying to figure out what was wrong. She gasped in shock as she realized it was her mother.

Ever since Angel had first begun to gain some control over her telepathy, with the help of meditation techniques she'd read about, she'd kept a mental link open between herself an her mother. It was only to make sure Maria was OK. When she'd been on the closed ward, the depression had actually blocked Angel out, but the link was working again. Angel sat, rigid, as the waves crashed over her. Unintentionally, Maria was sending her thoughts pouring into her daughter's head.

_I'm so sorry, so damn sorry. I can't keep doing this. There's nothing left for me. Except Angie... but what sort of life have I given her? She'd be so much better off if she didn't have to worry about me, if I was just gone. I'd be better off if it was all over. I'm doing the right thing._

_NO! Mom, don't! _Angel didn't know if she'd screamed that aloud, or if the echoes of it were only reverberating through her mind. But it was too late. She felt her mother's consciousness pull - no, fall away, and she knew that somehow, despite the fact that they were supposed to watch her, Maria had found a way to end her own life. And this time Angel wasn't there to save her at the eleventh hour. She'd been there before. When she'd been 4, and her dad had left, Maria had held the sleeping pills in her hand, but seeing Angel watching, had decided not to do it. Four years later, when history had repeated itself, only with a different guy, Angel had found her mother with her wrists slit, but she'd been able to stop the bleeding before Maria had died. "And for what?" Angel said aloud. She laughed, bitter as nightshade. What had the point been? What was the point of anything?

She didn't know how long she sat there. Twilight fell, and then the darkness came in earnest, and she still sat there. She heard the sound of wheels behind her. The Professor was coming toward her, a look of pity on his face. "Angel..."

"I already know. How did she do it?" Why was she asking? But she had to know.

"She apparently stole a plate and broke it, using the sharp edges to slit her wrists." The Professor hadn't wanted to tell her, but the complete lack of any emotion on Angel's part had prompted him to do so. He knew bottling up her pain would only hurt Angel in the long run, but the news elicited no reaction.

He left her alone. She was grateful. She didn't want to talk, to be forced indoors. She just wanted to be alone, for as long as she could.

It wasn't long after the Professor left that something occurred to her. If her mother was dead, then Angel's deal with Phoenix meant nothing. Which meant... Angel hadn't been comfortable with the idea of helping Phoenix in the first place. "Looks like all bets are off," she murmured.

A/N: Remember I said I was going to put her through Hell?This isjust the beginning.R&R, please!


	14. Astral Conversations

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 14 - Astral Conversations:_ Over the next two weeks, pretty much everyone avoided Angel. The blonde was extremely edgy, and liable to explode if anyone so much as looked at her funny. No one except for Ian and Kendra knew why, and they were also the only ones who were safe from her new behavior.

One night, Angel was sleeping, and having a very weird dream about some movie she'd seen that day, when it was interrupted. Suddenly, she was standing on a flat plain. There seemed to be nothing there. She looked up to see a sky that was pale violet instead of pale blue. The clouds were silver. "What the Hell?" she muttered.

"This is the Astral Plane, Angel," said a female voice behind her. Angel whirled to see the woman she knew as Phoenix. The redhead must have guessed what she was thinking, because she hastened to reassure Angel.

"I'm not Phoenix. I'm the real Jean Grey. Phoenix lied; she didn't get rid of me. But she does control my body, and this is the only way I can speak to people."

Angel stared at her. "Then why don't you just bring the Professor here?" Jean smiled sadly.

"She would expect that, and is on guard for it. Tapping you, on the other hand, is not something she would expect."

"But what am I supposed to do? I'm not interested in any more deals. I'm sick of playing games."

Jean sighed. "Angel, you and I are the only ones who know about this. Unfortunately, no one is quite suspicious enough to go to the Professor." Angel cringed. She'd helped with that situation.

"I don't blame you. Phoenix is a master manipulator. She knew just what to use to enlist your help. But now _I_ need your help."

Angel stared at her. She felt bad about what she'd done to help Phoenix. "What is she going to do?" she asked Jean, who looked saddened by the question.

"Kill as many of the people here as possible. It's her usual pattern, from what I can tell. She possesses someone, and then kills everyone her host cares about so the original owner of the body won't have a reason to fight." Angel shuddered. That was sick.

"So what do you want from me?" she asked.

"I want you to watch her. And if Phoenix does something... I'm afraid that she'll trick them, and they won't hurt her for fear of killing me. You won't have that problem, because you and I hardly know each other. You're the type who is willing to do exactly what is needed, and damn the consequences." Angel couldn't argue. It was something she'd learned over the years in foster care.

"If she tries something, and it seems I'll be proven right, I'm asking you to do whatever you can to stop her yourself." Angel's eyes widened.

"What if that means killing you?"

"Then do it. I don't want Phoenix to win. Do you?" Angel shook her head and was about to say something when her vision blurred. Jean and the Astral Plane faded away, and her eyes snapped open to reveal her darkened bedroom. Listening to her roommates' breathing, Angel wondered what she'd gotten herself into this time.

A/N: OK, about the Astral Plane, I have no idea what it's supposed to look like,so I just made something up.R&R!


	15. Phoenix Makes Her Move

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 15 - Phoenix Makes Her Move:_ All was quiet for a few days after Angel's promise to Jean. And then, one morning, the alarm bells ran. Most of the kids ran for the passageway leading to the woods, like they'd been told to do. Bobby, Kitty, Piotr, and Rogue, as X-Men in training, ran to join the X-Men. The rest of the X-Kids headed that way as well, but not to join in right off; they were going to hide and watch, ready to help if necessary. They didn't want to reveal their secret to the adults unless they had to.

The small group crouched behind the bushes, watching in shocked horror as Phoenix attacked. Angel watched the X-Men. As Jean had predicted, they were reluctant to fight back. The Professor was watching, seemingly waiting for the right moment to attack telepathically. Phoenix was laughing at the X-Men's weak attempts to incapacitate her with minimal harm. It didn't work. And her laugh made it obvious something was wrong; it was distorted, echoing the way her voice had the night she'd made the deal with Angel.

The Professor must have seen an opening, and he threw a bolt of power. Angel gasped; she could feel its strength. Phoenix screamed, but Angel had a feeling it was for show. Especially when the scream wasn't distorted. _Oh my God_, Angel thought. _She wants them to think it's Jean screaming._ The Professor pulled back, almost instinctively, and Angel bit back a scream of frustration. Idiot! Couldn't he see she was faking?

Apparently none of them could. The 'battle' continued, though it could hardly be called that. Bobby and Dr. McCoy were already down, unconscious or dead. And suddenly Angel had had enough. Jean was right, they couldn't do this. Which meant she would have to jump in after all. She leapt out from behind the bush and threw a bolt of power at Phoenix, who was bearing down on Rogue. Phoenix jerked as Angel's blast connected, more from surprise than anything else. Then she whirled on Angel. The dangerous smirk on her face sent chills down Angel's spine._ I am very screwed_, the teen thought.

A/N: R&R!


	16. Phoenix's Mistake

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 16 - Phoenix's Mistake:_ "So. Obviously you've never learned that an honorable person keeps her word," Phoenix remarked. Angel stiffened.

"We had a deal, and when my mother died, it wasn't any good. So I wasn't bound to anything anymore," she retorted.

"Perhaps not," Phoenix mused, "but I would have let you live. Now I'm going to kill you first." She slammed Angel with a telepathic blast so powerful that the girl was blown off her feet. Angel only kept from screaming by sheer willpower. She tried as hard as she could to push back, but she could barely concentrate through the pain. Phoenix's laughter echoed in her ears.

"Pitiful." The pressure stopped. "You know, I'll let you beg for mercy if you want. I'll make it quick then."

Angel looked up. She wasn't about to beg for anything. "Go to Hell," she whispered.

"Oh, good. I prefer to take things slowly."

She slammed the teen again. And this time, Angel had to bite her lip to stop the scream. She bit straight through, but she wouldn't scream, wouldn't give Phoenix that satisfaction.

"Silly girl." Phoenix sounded almost amused now. "Did you _really_ think you could stop me and save everyone?" She laughed. "Really, Angie, you couldn't have. I mean, think about it. All your life, you've been trying to save your mother, and you couldn't even do that. You're weak. You can't do anything, so why don't you just give up?"

Maria, lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. A scream that Angel didn't even recognize as her own. Voices, suddenly, in her head, screaming. The hospital. They'd sedated her. It only made her defenses weaker, made the voices get worse. Finally, they stopped when they came close to killing her. She'd been different after that. Her telepathy had been there, but it hadn't been strong. She'd done something, an instinctive block. She'd forgotten, until now. And the reason she remembered was because a loud crack had resounded in her head, and all the power she'd been holding back came rushing back. It frothed and buzzed in her head, and Angel knew Phoenix was wrong. She wasn't weak, not anymore. She stood up, slowly.

"Don't. Call. Me. Angie," she ground out, pulling all of the power into one concentrated bolt. She threw it at the redheaded demon-woman. Phoenix jerked, and suddenly began to scream. And it wasn't just Angel fighting. Her wild burst had given Jean strength, and she was attacking Phoenix from within. The screaming went on, distorted and normal, and Angel was screaming now too, from the effort of controlling a power level she had no experience with.

Then Phoenix went rigid as a board. She shook violently, and suddenly what looked like a red mist flew from the body and exploded. The awful pressure stopped immediately. Angel looked at the redheaded woman and understood. Jean was in control again. Phoenix was gone.

That was the last thought in her head before her world spun once, twice, and then went black.

A/N: R&R!


	17. After the Battle

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 17 - After the Battle:_ Angel woke to the sound of beeping monitors and a rough voice whispering to someone. It was Cyclops, talking to his girlfriend. He was begging her to wake up, telling her that he couldn't lose her again. Angel wisely kept her eyes shut, not wanting Cyclops to see she was awake.

Dr. McCoy came in and all but chased Cyclops out. "You can stop faking now, Angel" he said when the math teacher had left. Angel sat up slowly.

"How'd you know?" she asked.

"Brain waves," he responded, and proceeded to check things such as her pupil dilation and reflexes. "What's your full name and how old are you?" he asked, obviously checking her memory.

"Angel Gabriela Ravena. I'm 16."

"Where were you born?"

"New York City. My brain's fine, Dr. McCoy."

"Hmm. You're obviously not a normal teenager then. But you do seem to be in fine working order. So, what happened?"

"I... don't exactly know. It's like I had this block on my power, and it broke." Dr. McCoy nodded.

"That makes a lot of sense." Angel looked to her right and saw Jean lying unconscious.

"Is she going to be OK?" Angel wanted to know.

"We don't know. It's been a week. We didn't even know if you'd be alright, and Jean suffered more trauma than you did." Angel looked down.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I wasn't trying to hurt anyone, except Phoenix. I didn't want..." A large blue hand rested on her shoulder.

"I understand, and so do others. Some don't, but it'll be alright." If only he knew how wrong he would turn out to be.

A/N: Yes, very short, I know, but bear with me, OK?


	18. Emancipation

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 18 - Emancipation:_ Three days later, Angel was released from the infirmary. After one day back at classes, she almost wished she hadn't recovered. The other kids whispered behind her back, and what they were saying... Half of them seemed convinced that she had been trying to kill Dr. Grey; the other half just seemed afraid of her. She understood; after all, she was back to normal while Dr. Grey was still in a coma, and she had done something the Professor couldn't. Ian, Kendra, Rogue, and Bobby were on her side, but they were the only ones. Even her other roommates didn't trust her anymore.

And the teachers weren't much easier to deal with. Dr. McCoy still treated her the same as always, but he was the only one. Storm and the Professor seemed to always be watching her, and Logan completely ignored her in gym. Math classes had been taken by the music teacher, Ms. Richards - Cyclops hadn't left Dr. Grey's side except when forced out to sleep. Ms. Richards bothered her the most. She too watched Angel, but it was of a different type of watching. Storm and the Professor just seemed to be monitoring the situation; Ms. Richards' gaze felt as though it were analyzing her, weighing her for something.

This went on for two weeks, and Angel felt a familiar edginess fill her. This feeling had come once before, in her worst foster home. Then Angel had run away. But there was more at stake now. Right after she'd turned 15, she'd applied to become an emancipated minor. She had to be on her best behavior until she found out whether her request had been granted or denied. She knew they were keeping tabs on her, and running away would risk her chances of early freedom. She did not want to go back to Larkspur, or worse, juvie.

Then, just when she was beginning to wonder if she could stop herself from taking off, Ms. Simmons came back. She spoke to the Professor for about a half hour about something, before taking Angel for a drive.

They didn't go far before Ms. Simmons pulled over and parked her car at the curb of a street. "Angel," she began. "This is going to be quick. I just wanted to let you know that as of today, you are a free, emancipated minor. You got your wish, Angel. I've informed the Professor, as he was your last official guardian."

Angel looked at her, not aware that her eyes were blazing with a sudden light. "I can do whatever now, right? Leave here, go anywhere?"

"Yes, although Professor Xavier says he wishes you to remain at the Institute, it is your choice. I think you ought to stay, but if you're unhappy, then maybe leaving will help."

Angel nodded. They drove back to the Institute. As Angel was about to get out of the car, Ms. Simmons stopped her. "Angel. I... I'm sorry about some of the mishaps that have occurred in your previous homes. I wish you the very best." Angel looked at her. She'd always cast Ms. Simmons as The Enemy, but maybe she'd misjudged the woman.

"Thanks. I wish you luck too. Bye." She smiled a real smile at the woman for the first time before getting out. She had a choice to make.

It wasn't hard, of course. The choice was really in how to go about it. She wasn't sure the Professor would just let her leave, emancipation or no. She trusted Ian and Kendra, and would have liked to say goodbye to them, but they'd try to talk her out of it, and maybe even inform one of the teachers. No, slipping away in the night was best, and she'd be far enough away before anyone knew she was gone.

So, that night, she only pretended to sleep. Once the other girls were soundly asleep, she silently packed her things, went invisible, and left. She made her way to the train station and slipped onto a train bound for Philadelphia. When the conductor came around, she used what she thought of as a 'Jedi Mind Trick' to make him think she had a ticket when she didn't. She had some money, but didn't see the point in using it until she had to. She fell asleep as the train sped south, hoping that the people at the school didn't bother to follow her.

A/N: R&R!


	19. An Interesting Offer

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 19 - An Interesting Offer:_ At the Philadelphia train station, Angel decided to head inland. She chose the bus that was going to Tennessee. She wasn't sure why; just seemed like a good way to get further away from the school.

She sat down next to a boy who looked to be a year or two older than she was. She barely glanced at him, but she could feel his eyes on her. She ignored him.

About five minutes later, she heard a funny clicking noise. She looked back over at the boy, who had pulled out a Zippo lighter and was flicking it on and off. He looked up from the flame he had been studying and smirked at her. A shadow fell across her and she turned, looking up at a man who was wearing a hat and a long coat. The brim of the hat shaded his face, but she suddenly had the feeling something fishy was going on.

"Hello, Angel. I would like to speak with you for a moment." His voice, cool, sophisticated, with a European accent, sent a chill down her spine. There was something about his voice... "I believe you are a schoolfriend of my son and daughter." And then it hit her. Ian. He sounded like Ian, somehow, which could only mean...

The realization must have shown in her face, because he chuckled. "Ah, so you have figured it out. Let us go outside."

"Sorry, but I've got a train to catch."

"I'm afraid you've misunderstood. This is not a request." And she felt a tug on her wrist, from her bracelet. It was straining towards the man - Magneto, of course.

"Fine," she hissed, through gritted teeth. He turned and strode outside, and she followed. She had to; he had kept a grip on her bracelet. The boy - Pyro/John, she assumed - brought up the rear.

They didn't go far; merely into a deserted side street. "You wanted something? Hurry up, I've got to get going," Angel said. A part of her was saying that attempting to provoke a mutant terrorist as dangerous as Magneto wasn't wise, but she didn't particularly care.

"You really need to learn politeness, child. Americans. They teach no discipline." Magneto took his hat off. Angel could see that he was an older man, with silver hair and light blue eyes that troubled her, because they were a colder version of her friend's. In fact, the father-son resemblance was quite marked. It was chilling.

Footsteps made her start. A woman walked out of the shadows - Ms. Richards. There was another woman with her - a naked, blue-skinned woman. Mystique. "You were a spy?" Angel asked the music teacher in shock.

Ms. Richards chuckled. "That's right. I must say, Angel, your little display of power when you fought Phoenix was impressive." Angel just stared at her.

"Tell me, girl. Why did you leave the school?" Magneto asked, his voice mild. Angel stiffened.

"Didn't your _spy_ tell you?" she snarled.

"Yes. However, I wanted you to admit it yourself. You're angry that the X-Men couldn't understand that you did what needed to be done, despite the consequences. Why do you think Charles and I wound up enemies?"

"I hadn't stopped to consider it, actually. What do you want, to recruit me?"

"And you're considering refusal?" Mystique asked in her odd, echoing voice. Angel glared at her.

"Why should I get involved? I just want to live my life. I'm not for this war, not on any side."

Magneto gave her a piercing look. "We wish to simply live our lives as well, but how good of a life will you have when there is always a danger of being registered like some animal, of being locked up in a camp for something you were born with? Or else hiding forever, denying the truth of who you are? Living among the humans, our enemies. Child, surely you see that we must fight to be able to live our lives."

Angel eyed him. "What about the humans who are treated as badly as mutants?" she challenged. She wanted to see his response. "We're not the only oppressed group out there, you know."

He gave her a sharp look. "We cannot worry about them all. Let them fight their own battles. Now, I want an answer. Are you joining us or not?"

"Will you kill me if I don't?"

"That would be a waste. No. If you choose to avoid war now, I am sure something will happen to change your mind. You are free to leave... for now." Angel didn't stop to wonder what that might mean. She left, quickly.

She just managed to catch her train, once again using her powers to avoid buying a ticket. The train was well underway when, staring out the window, she felt a familiar aura. Someone sat down beside her.

"Hello, Angel," Storm said, her voice soft. _Oh damn. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse._

A/N: Yes, a cliffhanger. I seem to be on a cliffie kick right now. Huh. Must be the mix of Evanescence's The Open Door and the Wicked soundtrack I've been playing lately. Anyway... wondering why Magneto let her off the hook? Well, I don't see him forcing people into his cause, as that's likely to backfire on him. (Don't even bring up Rogue; he saw her as merely a tool. She wasn't someone he wanted to recruit.) R&R!


	20. Deja Vu

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_Chapter 20 - Deja Vu:_ "What do you want, Storm?" Angel said tiredly. "You and I both know everyone is a lot happier with me gone, including me, so why did you track me down?" The white-haired woman gave her an exasperated look, and Angel was tempted to laugh. _History repeats itself, doesn't it?_ It was so like their first meeting. She smirked instead, and looked out the window. She felt the other woman's annoyance grow.

"Angel, stop being so difficult. You have to come back. Surely you know that."

"You know," Angel tossed back, "I thought the Professor was an idealist. Figured he'd believe in free will. He tell you to force me to come back?"

"I don't intend to force you. I intend to persuade you. Angel..." Storm paused and then said, "Will you at least look at me while we're having a conversation?"

"You're the one who's talking. I'm the captive audience." Her mother's voice admonished her in her mind, telling her to be nice, that Storm was only trying to help. _And what do you know?_ Angel asked the voice. _You can't take care of yourself, couldn't even stay alive, even for me. _She'd been holding the emotions in since Phoenix. That fight had brought everything out of the little room she kept it in, and she hated that. She'd been almost numb before, in most ways, and she preferred that. She turned her head back toward Storm. "Whatever you want to say, I'm not interested. God, what is it with you people? First Magneto drags me outside by my bracelet, now you corner me on the damn train! What next?"

Storm's eyes narrowed. "Magneto tried to recruit you? Did you agree?"

"If I did, would I be on this train? I'm not interested in his spiel either. Oh, by the way, tell Xavier he'd better fire Richards. She's a spy." The lack of respect she was showing was supposed to piss Storm off, make her go away. And, in some ways, it was also pure Angel. _The Ice Queen's cracking, and things might just get interesting_, she thought. Storm closed her eyes, and Angel knew she was pushing buttons. She relented a little, out of guilt. She knew Storm meant well, which was something, at any rate. "No, I didn't join him. I don't believe in his views any more than I believe in the ones the X-Men hold so dear."

"Then why fight Phoenix? Why help us?" Storm's voice was challenging now.

"That was cleaning up a mess I helped make."

"What?"

"I covered for her, talked suspicious kids out of going to Xavier."

"Why would you do that, if you knew something was wrong?"

"She promised to cure my mother. My mom came first. Then she died, and all bets were off."

"So if your mother were still alive, you would have let her kill us all? Would your mother have wanted to be cured if that were the price?"

No. Maria wouldn't have wanted that. She hadn't wanted to be helpless, to have a daughter who took care of her, when it should be the other way around, but she hadn't wanted to care for herself either, she just wanted to drift. And so did her daughter. If she could, it would be so easy... but the easy way was usually the wrong one. "She was my mother. In a lot of ways, it was more like I was her mother. Don't you get that? I had to try to help her. I always helped her. It was my role in life." Had she just said that? Why had she said that?

"I see. That makes it understandable, I suppose. But you actually believed her? My own acquaintance with you makes it hard for me to believe that."

"I had to. Do you know what my life has been like?" She didn't care about telling her, now. She wanted to shock the woman. "Do you know what it is like to have your father walk out when you're four years old, to stand barefoot in a nightgown in the snow and beg him not to go, and then go back inside to see your mother staring at a bottle of sleeping pills, and to know somehow that she's about to leave you too, only she doesn't. But then, she gets her heart broken again and you're running after the man again, except this time you want to kill him, and you're only eight. Eight, and you want to kill a man because you know that it'll just destroy her again. And you're right, because you come back to find her in a puddle of her own blood, with slit wrists. And then it was foster care, and she was locked up in the goddamned loony bin, and..." She trailed off. She'd shocked Storm all right, and herself too. She'd never talked about it, not to anyone. Social Services had sent her to shrinks, trying to get her to open up, to 'talk about her feelings.' Angel had always believed that it was pointless to talk. What did words do? But now... some part of her actually felt relieved, almost, after that little outburst.

Storm stared at the young blond girl. This explained the bitterness that had so stunned Storm when she'd first met Angel. "Angel..."

"I don't want pity," Angel snarled, her eyes wild. _Does she even know she's crying? _Storm wondered.

"I'm not giving you pity, Angel. I can understand now why you told me that you had to be so cynical. It must have been horrible for you when your mother died."

"We had a bond," Angel said hollowly. She felt tears on her cheeks and hated them, but she didn't feel like bothering to wipe them away. "A telepathic bond. I used to check on her. I... I felt her die." Why am I talking about this? Angel wondered. But it was as though a dam had been broken inside her; now that she'd begun to talk, she couldn't stop. She shook her head. "I didn't care after that, not about Phoenix, or anything else. And I still don't. So what do you make of that, Storm? You can't make me want to come back, because nothing matters to me anymore. I just want to be left alone."

"To do what?"

Angel frowned. "Why do you care?" Storm studied her.

"You're one of my students."

"No, I'm not. I'm not coming back."

"But I thought nothing mattered to you."

"Even so, I still have common sense. Who goes back to a place where pretty much everyone hates or mistrusts them?" The wildness in her eyes was gone, replaced by a flat coldness. Storm had seen eyes like that before, and the sight had never been welcome. Magneto had eyes like that. And what could she say? Angel was right, more or less. Most of the school was hostile to her in some form now. But if she let her go... she could see Angel changing her mind, joining Magneto one day. She could see this girl, grown and standing beside the others in the Brotherhood, looking at the X-Men with those cold eyes, willing to kill them all. But she also knew she didn't have the right to stop Angel from doing that, if she wanted to.

"Fine." Storm got up to leave. Angel stared at her.

"You're just going to leave?"

"Yes. You obviously won't..." She stopped as the train began to move. She blinked, not sure what to do now. Angel laughed; she couldn't help it.

"You might as well sit back down, Miss Munroe. We're going to Tennessee."

"I think I'll get off before that."

A/N: Well, that's another chapter done. Actually, this has been done for ages. Originally I meant to put more here, but I changed my mind. This is probably the third-last update - one more chapter and then the epilogue.


	21. When One Door Closes, Another Opens

Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

_**Chapter 21 - When a Door Closes, Another Opens:**_ "Well, there should be other stops. We're definitely stopping in New York City, maybe you can get off there," Angel suggested.

"Maybe," Storm replied as she sat down. "So, what are you going to do now, Angel?"

"Get enrolled in school, get a job and somewhere to live, obviously. Other than that..." the blond girl shrugged.

"In Tennessee?"

"Probably not, no. I'll keep moving, for a while."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know, and if I did... the Professor sent you here; would he really let me go?" Storm frowned.

"I..." She stopped. The truth was, she didn't really know.

"Exactly. You're one of his, and even you don't know. I'm not risking it. All I want is a normal life, you know? Hiding my mutation doesn't bother me."

"You don't have to do this," Storm said, trying one last time. "People will get over it; you don't need to run."

"Yes, I do. Not from the school, maybe, but I do need this. I have to find my own way, Storm, and I'm not going to do it at the Institute. I liked it there, but I was never meant to stay. I don't have the faith in humanity the Professor wants to instill in us, and I'm never going to. I learned a lot, but it's time for me to move on."

"You were always going to do this, weren't you?" Storm asked the girl.

"Maybe not so abruptly, and maybe I'd've graduated first, but yes, I was always going to do this. I always wanted to do it, it's been my only dream, other than being with Mom again. Now that I've got it, I don't plan to waste it." She smiled, a bright smile unlike anything Storm had seen on the girl's face before. She knew that this was the end of it. Angel wouldn't be coming back; but she didn't have to. She wasn't like most of the other kids; Angel didn't need the school anymore. Maybe she never really had.

"You shouldn't. Not enough people get their dreams," the woman told the girl quietly, and then they were silent.

At Grand Central Station, Storm stood to get off. She looked back at Angel. "Good luck, Angel. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Bye, Storm. Take care of yourself. Oh, and ask Logan out before you both go crazy," Angel replied with a smirk. Storm stared for a moment before leaving, shaking her head. Why would she ask Logan out? Really.

* * *

She got back to the Institute and went straight to the Professor's office. "Storm, why didn't Angel return with you?" Charles wanted to know.

"She didn't want to. I won't force her, Professor," Storm replied.

"If Erik..."

"He tried. She told him no. She just wants a normal life. Oh, Ms. Richards is a spy."

"What?"

"I know." She turned to go.

"Storm?"

"What?"

"Do you really think leaving Angel alone is the best course of action?"

"Yes, I do. She would never have stayed, Professor. I think we both know that." She smiled at him. "This way, everyone gets what they want, more or less." Then she left.

* * *

A week later, Angel finally stopped running. She landed in St. Louis, Missouri. She knew there were difficulties ahead, balancing school with the job she'd need to support herself, but she had some money saved up to help get herself started. She'd be alright. And she was free. At last, she was the mistress of her own destiny, she was in control of her fate. She was going to live her life here, and she was going to live it well. She didn't know how yet, she just knew that she would.

A/N: So, that's the last regular chapter. The epilogue will be up next, and six years will have gone by. There's also going to be an implied crossover - which was set up here in Angel's final destination - that has to stay implied because fanfics of that particular series are not allowed on the site. There are other sites, but as of now, I'm not inclined to risk getting sued for it.


	22. Epilogue: Closure

Disclaimer: X-Men's not mine, and neither is... er, the other universe implied here. Virtual cookies to anyone who guesses it!

_**Epilogue - Closure:**_ Angel studied the invitation thoughtfully. She'd met Gambit when he and Rogue had come to St. Louis after a trip to his hometown of New Orleans, and she'd liked the red-eyed Creole. However, he hadn't seemed like the type to marry, even if he and Rogue were head over heels for each other. Maybe she'd misread him. The question now was, would she go? It was going to be at the Institute, after all. It had been six years since she left, and in that time... She wasn't just a mutant anymore, she reflected, but what she'd become had given her a family, so she couldn't complain.

She would go. She'd known all along, really. She wouldn't be so nasty as to miss her friend's wedding just because she was nervous. Which meant she had some phone calls to make. Good thing the sun had set, she mused as she dialed the number for her top client, because it was always better to reach this particular person after dark.

She got a bit of a run-around before a smooth voice with a French accent came over the phone. "_Oui_, Angel?"

"Hey, boss. Listen, can we move that shoot of the dance club boys back two days? Turns out I'm going to be out of town."

"Ah. And why is that?"

"Oh, a wedding. Up in the New York area."

"I see. Very well, you can do your photography later. Angel, _mon ami_, have you considered my offer?"

"What, coming back on stage? No, sorry, you know I only did that to pay for college."

"A pity. You were very good."

"Thanks. I think. I have to call some other people now, though, and I'd bet you've got stuff to do, so bye." She hung up and then dialed another number.

"Hello?"

"Nate, are either of your warm-blooded housemates home?"

"No, not right now. What's up, Angie?" He was the only one allowed to call her that. Ever.

"I'm going out of town, and I wanted to let them know."

"They'd both yell at you for asking permission."

"I'm not asking permission, exactly. Just letting them know, so they don't call me on the house phone if something comes up."

"Why would anything come up?"

"Because in our world, something always does."

"True. All right, I'll tell them. Where are you going?"

"A wedding in Westchester."

"Oh, that girl Rogue?"

"Good guess."

"But... I thought you said you didn't ever want to go back there." Nate was confused.

"I don't. But Rogue's my friend; I should be there for this."

"Still... you want me to come? Or one of the others? I'm sure any of the boys would go with you. Or one of the girls, for that matter."

"No, I'll be fine."

"All right, if you're sure."

When Angel hung up, she sighed. The fact was that she wasn't sure, actually. It would be nice to have Nate along. He was considered weak in their world, but Angel understood that behind that... if nothing else, Nate was unflinchingly loyal. All of the people she considered her family were. And when it came to each other, they were fiercely protective. Which might be bad thing. Particularly if Summers started in on her. So she would go alone.

* * *

She was actually surprised to find she still owned a dress that wasn't black. It was blood-red, and the last time she'd worn it had been when some... representatives of a similar subculture to hers, only over in Europe, had come to town. That had been fun. Several people had nearly died. But the dress was nice. It was a halter with a flared skirt that was about ankle length. With it she wore black stilettos. It still amazed her that she could walk in those things. Her jewelry was simple; ruby drop earrings set in silver and a pentacle necklace in white gold with tiny rubies in the circle. It looked like silver, and since she only wore silver earrings these days, and that out of necessity, it worked.

The wedding was simple and short, for which she was relieved. The last wedding she'd been to had been a lot longer , and the church it had been held in - if you could really call it a church, which she was unsure about - was nondenominational. This service was Catholic, and seemed abridged. Her mother had been Catholic; their ceremonies, she knew, tended to drag. But she was grateful. Not being Christian, she had hoped that the ceremony bit would be short.

The reception was in the backyard of the school. Rogue was thrilled that she'd come, and said so. "I really didn't think you would," the brunette said with a smile, her soft Southern accent still clear, even after years on the East Coast. "What with... everything."

"I couldn't miss this," Angel said, grinning.

"Nice to see you, Angel," a voice said from behind her. She turned and found herself looking into pale blue eyes.

"Ian." There was a woman with him, a perky-looking brunette.

"My fiancee, Jessica. Jess, this is Angel Ravena. We were friends, years ago."

"It's nice to meet you." Angel spoke automatically. She had always harbored a slight crush on her friend, and it was a slight shock to see him engaged. They hadn't really kept in touch; he and Kendra found they couldn't fight their parents and had also left the school, and they hadn't looked each other up. "So, where's Kendra?"

"Off on a dig in India. She's an archaeologist now."

"Oh, that's great. What about you?"

"I'm a counselor for troubled kids. So's Jess; that's how we met. What about you?"

"I'm a photographer. I do some freelance photojournalism, but I'm mostly hired for publicity shots. My biggest client runs several clubs in New Orleans."

"Oh? Where?" Jessica asked, curious. Angel flinched inwardly.

"The District." She saw the shock on Jessica's face. "What?" she asked innocently.

"That, that's the..." She whispered something to Ian, who turned to Angel in shock.

"Angel, you're not... you work for..."

"Yeah. Why, does that bother you?"

"I just never saw you there."

"Oh. Well, things change." And it occurred to her that it was a good thing that he was taken. If she'd tried to start something, and it had worked, once he found out what she'd become, things might have gotten ugly. As she turned away and walked off, she felt that old crush fade away.

She sat at a table and watched the people talk and dance for a while, not really thinking, just drifting. And wishing she was home, where she knew the rules. Even when there were no rules.

"Angel?" Someone sat down beside her. She turned, looking into warm brown eyes.

"Hello, Storm," she said, smiling slightly.

"I'm glad to see you came," Storm continued. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good. I landed in St. Louis; I'm working in photography."

"That's nice. Do you like it?"

"I love it. I had to take up dancing to get through college, but that's over, and my old boss is now my best client."

"Well, you got lucky. I always hoped things would work out for you."

"I owe you one for letting me go."

"You'd have gone anyway."

"I did go anyway. But not having to fight you made it easier."

"I'm glad. And it seems I made the right choice." She paused. "If you don't mind my asking, besides work, how are things?"

Angel grinned. "Pretty good. I've got plenty of friends; no boyfriend, though." Though she had been looking at someone. Dark hair, brilliant blue eyes... and totally besotted with someone else, who slept with him because she had to, but didn't love him. And he was completely blind to Angel's existence. "Actually, you've probably seen a couple of them on the news. One's a rather well-known federal marshal, another is a... well, a politician of the subculture in St. Louis, and another one's been on TV as an activist for equal rights for non-normals. I'm supposed to go on with him next time, for a perspective of someone who knows what it's like to be non-normal from different standpoints. I'm trying to talk him out of it."

"I heard about you working in the District. I thought you just worked there... I didn't know you were one of them."

"Is that a problem?" Her green eyes were cold. Storm wondered what else was part of Angel's life now that they seemed even colder than before.

"No. I guess it makes sense, you seem to see them as your family. I suppose they wouldn't treat outsiders that way."

"Well, I was an outsider, and they did. I wasn't always one of them."

"What, one of the monsters?" said a voice acidly. "You were a monster before you ever went to St. Louis." She turned to see Summers, sans the glasses. Apparently he, like Rogue, made use of the inhibitor. Yes, there was the metal band on his left middle finger.

"Scott, don't," said Jean Grey - well, probably Grey-Summers now. "I told you, I asked Angel to do what she did."

"And you did it because she didn't care if she killed you. The girl's a sociopath." To the shock of the three others, Angel laughed at that.

"I know a true sociopath, Summers, and trust me, I don't come close to him. I can kill if I have to, without feeling bad about it, but I don't like it. Sociopaths like it. Just pray you never meet one, because apparently you can't tell the difference between sociopathy and practicality."

He stared at her. "Like I said," he sneered at last, "one of the monsters."

"Oh, well, yeah, but no one's denying that. But I'm not sure you know just how right you are." She smiled innocently, gazing up at him with green eyes that suddenly changed. They went amber, and the pupils became vertical. "See?"

He stared at her in horror. "You let them do that to you?"

"For a friend of mine, yes. Apparently, you wouldn't do the same. Wouldn't make yourself more of a freak. I wonder, would you even do it for Dr. Grey? Not that it's my business, of course." She turned away from him. "Storm, it was nice talking to you, but I have the feeling your co-worker isn't going to leave - " She was cut off as her phone rang. "Hello?"

She listened to the female voice at the other end explain what was happening, and sighed. "Great, just what we need. Old ghost stories being real after all. Or maybe Phantom of the Opera, considering the mask bit. Yeah, I'll be back, 'Nita." She hung up and smiled brightly. "Well, looks like I'm out of here anyway. Storm, Dr. Grey, it was a pleasure; Summers, not so much, but I'd be surprised if it was."

She went back over to Rogue. "Congratulations, girl, but I've got to go. Emergency, as per usual." Rogue, who knew some of what happened in Angel's new world, frowned.

"Watch your back."

"Oh, always."

Two hours later, she was on a plane, headed back to St. Louis. Yes, it was another emergency, but that was just part of life. Angel wasn't a front line player, but she was always there if they needed her. That was what friends did. That was what family did. And friends, of course, were the family you made. Her past was gone; her return to the Institute had proven that once and for all. Angel knew she would never go back, but that was fine. She'd found her place in the world, and she was finally where she belonged. She'd found the home the Institute could not be, and she would protect it whatever the cost.

A/N: OK, so, can anyone guess the other universe I'm mixing with this? Bonus points if you can name each character referenced. Anyway, this story is now finished, and there is no sequel planned. This is because if I did write one, I'd be breaking rules and would risk getting my account deleted. There are sites for this other fandom, but my luck, I'll join up, and the members will get arrested for plagiarism or something of the sort. So this becomes my first completed story where the sequel remains only in my head. I'm grateful to anyone who's ever reviewed, and I hope those who liked this will check out some of my other work.


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